Junko's Story
by Xadrea
Summary: This story is one of a few prequels to a larger story I am currently working on called "Final Dreams". This is the story of a character I created named Junko, and her adventures with Squall Leonhart's elder son, Stormy and the White SeeDs.
1. Chapter 1

_My name is Junko, and this is my story.  
>Not the story of my life, for that would be boring and pointless. This isn't the story of how I succeeded at becoming anything either, for I missed my chance. This is the story of how I became who I am. I was not born this way. I was seventeen years old when my life as it is now began. <em>

_"Being the night watch is a privilege."_

My father's words echoed through my absent mind as I reluctantly walked to the Guard Post. I couldn't believe I'd waited years for this "privilege." There certainly was no privilege in sitting in a wooden box for twelve hours in the dark. Yu, the day watchman, called to me when he saw me down the dusty path.

_"Good evening, Junko."_

I pulled my silk mask down and smiled politely. _"Good evening, Yu,"_I called back.

I ran the rest of the way up to the guard post; there was no reason to keep Yu waiting because of my discontent. Dusk was just giving way to twilight. The dusty road leading back to the village was a blazing orange strip in the sun's setting rays. I kicked up little dust clouds as I hurried to the tower. The Guard Post tower wasn't much; only about ten feet from the ground, but high enough to spot someone on foot for at least a mile off in the daylight. At night, there was only one lonely electric lamp lighting the road, but the light only dimly covered twenty feet of the road going in both directions. Night watch was obviously more dangerous, in fact there was little I could do if there was any danger. Nevertheless, I knew that this job was saying something of the skill of my training, for I always guarded alone. Yu usually had another watchman with him during the day, but this particular day the other watchman had not wanted to wait for me. I sighed and grabbed the wooden ladder leaning against the tower to climb in. There was no point in complaining now. When I climbed into the guard post I found Yu busily packing up his weapons.

_"Have a safe evening, Miss. As far as I know, there should be no travelers tonight."_

I nodded. 'Of course there are no travelers, Yu,' I thought impatiently, 'there's a war going on.' Yu gathered his belongings into a plain knapsack, descended the tower, and waved before he set off for home. There was nothing quite like getting off of guard duty, I wished I was him at that moment.

Snapping back into reality, I reattached my mask and hooked my katana at my side securely. It was all I needed, and yet I knew I'd never need to use it. Not here at least. I leaned lazily against the doorway of the Guard Post and stared into the plains at the smoky pink horizon. The only good thing about being night watch during the summer was that twilight ruled the land until the twentieth hour. Although, twilight had been getting steadily shorter, summer was almost gone. Not that I feared the dark, but it made me feel less alone, and there was also a degree of unforeseeable danger in the dark. But I smiled beneath my mask. In spite of my feelings about my current situation, I was soon going to be leaving the village.

My heart danced at the thought. I had wanted to join Galbadia Garden's mercenaries, but before I had completed any paperwork, another group requested me; the White SeeDs. They were the elite, much further ahead of any of the Gardens, and I had been invited. I didn't know much about them, but I knew that they were independent of the other Gardens. I was spoken to briefly by one of the members when I had traveled to Galbadia Garden, and shortly afterward, I received a letter from the leader Ellone Loire. It was all going so smoothly, so well. She wanted me to join as soon as possible. I couldn't, my family needed me, just for this short while, just until the summer was over. That had been weeks ago, and now the season's end was nearly here. One week until the last summer harvest, then I'd be gone. Anyways, the Galbadians had been threatening to bar access in or out of Lallapalooza Canyon. There was no way I was waiting for that to happen, this was my chance, and I was going to take it. I climbed up onto the roof of the tower and watched the last rays of the sun disappear behind the horizon.

_

_Looking back now, years later, I wish I had realized what I had done._


	2. Chapter 2

_"Headstrong." That's my father called me.  
>"Bold." That's my mother called me.<br>"Idiot", is what I call myself. I never thought as myself as that until now._

When the opal shroud of night completely veiled the sky, and I was perched on the roof of the tower, I spotted my friend Dar coming down the silvery moonlit road. He wasn't hard to miss; he was short and thin, very boyish looking, though he was pushing nineteen.

"Hey Jun, it's me!" he called waving.

I scoffed; he was practicing the other language again.

_"Speak Centran!"_ I shouted back.

"Hey, no need to get upset there, Jun," Dar called up from beneath the Guard Post.

"Alright, that is fine," I replied; I scratched my head. I wasn't sure if that phrase was correct or not, but what did it matter anyway? Dar was always a show off.

Dar climbed up into the post with me and plopped himself into the glassless window then pulled down his mask to reveal his mischievous grin.

"What's your beef?"

_"I don't like the way the other language sounds",_ I protested. _"The sounds are too…rough. They don't flow off my tongue like Centran does."_

Dar shook his head. _"You just need to get fluent with it is all Jun. There, Centran, happy?"_

I couldn't understand for the life of me how he could sound the same way switching between both languages.

Dar shook his head and laughed. _"Well, you're not usually this snappy. I brought you some food. I don't get how you can sit up here every night without anything to eat!"_Dar slid off of the window sill and grabbed a bag I hadn't noticed he was carrying.

_"Hungry?"_Dar pulled out a solid wedge of almost white cheese and a stack of crackers still wrapped in crinkly cellophane. Before I could shoo him away, my stomach protested by growling as loudly as possible.

_"I swiped some cheese outta my mom's pantry for ya. Go ahead, eat some, it's home made."_

I reached over and plucked a small hunk off of the wedge and popped it into my mouth. It was good, really good actually; tangy, sweet, and buttery all at once. Before I realized it, I was shoveling cheese and crackers into my mouth and collecting crumbs into my silk mask that hung below my jaw.

_"So, you're heading off to __Galbadia Garden__ in about a week or so, right?"_

The cheese I was about to swallow felt as thick as glue in my mouth.

_"Well, I __am__ leaving."_ I finished swallowing then mumbled , _"I'm just not off to __Galbadia Garden__."_

_"Huh?"_

_" I'm not going to __Galbadia Garden__, Dar."_

Dar's face melted from a smile to a quizzical look. _"Then, __where__ are you going, Jun? Wait, you lied to your parents then. Where are you going?"_ He looked like he wanted to slap me.

I stiffened up and dusted the crumbs from myself. _"I'm joining the __White SeeDs__."_  
><em>"Oh for the love of Hyne, Jun c'mon! Are you serious? What is <em>_wrong__ with you!"_

I waved my hands to stop his rant. _"Dar, I thought you'd be happy for me. This is a big deal for me."_

Dar looked at me sharply. _"If this was such a big deal, Jun, why'd you lie?"_

_"Why are you so damn mad? What are you jealous or something, Dar?"_

Dar stood up and walked over to me. He was slightly shorter than me, but he was still in my face. His nose was inches from mine.

_"You. Know. Nothing. The __White SeeDs__ aren't anything close to any of the __Gardens__! They kill people, Jun!"_

I snorted and rolled my eyes. _"So do the mercenaries at __Garden__."_

Dar narrowed his eyes. I'd never seen him so livid before. _"You know good and damn well what I mean, Jun. You have no business getting mixed up with them. You know that. I'm really disappointed in you. You lied to everyone; you lied to your parents. You lied to me." _Dar backed away and faced the window.

I ran my hand over my face. This was not turning out well. I sighed and inhaled before I spoke again.  
><em>"Dar…I…I'm doing what's best for this village. I want to continue to defend and protect. I can't do that without help."<em>

_"The __Galbadians__ said they'd offer protection for us,"_ Dar answered without turning around.

I threw my hands up in exasperation. _"Dar, do you trust them? I don't, no one does! They aren't going to protect us, that's the furthest thing from their war filled minds! They're closing the canyon soon. I heard it the other day from one of the soldiers. We aren't safe, you know that. Just about everyone has left. And don't even begin to bring up my father…__ Garden's__ not interested in helping anyone but itself right now. That's when the __White SeeDs__ said they'd help."_

Dar didn't answer. The silence was filled with the sounds of chirping insects and my own nervous breathing. I felt defeated. This wasn't for selfish gain; I really did want to keep the village safe. The thick silence settled heavily on me. Dar stood silently still at the window, occasionally shaking his head back and forth slowly. Finally, he hopped back into the window and looked in my direction. The moon was shining directly behind him, so I couldn't see his face.

_"Jun…I hope to Hyne you're right. I really do. But please, reconsider this. Think it over. Talk to…your dad. I don't know; just don't do this, please. I haven't heard anything good, Jun."_

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. _"You're just jealous," _I whispered shakily. I felt as if I was going to burst into tears. 'Damn, hormones,' I thought angrily. Maybe it was close to that time.

_"Jun…"_, Dar's voice was soft. He slid off of the window and walked back over to me. In the dim moonlight I could see his face, but I couldn't read his expression; he looked hurt and confused, but worried all at the same time.

_"Jun, you're my best friend."_ Dar threw his arms around me and squeezed.

I hugged him back and gently pushed him away. _"Hey, I'll get in trouble if Yu finds out you were here. Maybe you should head home…_"

Nodding slowly, Dar lowered his head and put his hands in his pockets, _"alright."_  
>Dar picked up his bag and reattached his mask. He looked back at me but didn't say anything as he climbed down the tower's ladder.<p>

_"Bye…Dar."_ I waved to him before he made it onto the road.

Dar waved shortly, then turned his way onto the road. 'Fine then, don't say bye.' I climbed up and out of the window back onto the roof and watched him walk into the film of thick blackness at the edge of the trees crowding the road. I reattached my mask folded my arms tightly, and sat up straight and cross legged like the warriors of old. No one could change my mind. Not Dar, not anyone. He was worried, he had the right. But…

I shook my head and focused onto the road again. This was going to be a long night watch.

_

_I should have listened._


	3. Chapter 3

_Even though my mind was made up, I still felt wrong. That was the first of many red flags I chose to ignore…_

Dar didn't bring up the conversation he and I had again. In fact, he acted as if nothing had happened or changed at all. In a way I was relieved. I knew I wasn't off the hook or anything, but I knew he at least wouldn't tell anyone else about my plans. I did feel guilty for not being forthright with my friends and family, but I knew if I had told them about the White SeeDs it would have ruined my chances of being able to join them.

I spent my last two weeks before training tying up loose ends. I returned all the random items I had borrowed from neighbors and friends over the years. I threw out most of my clothes except for my stealthy black jumpsuits and sweaters. I informed my school instructors that they would not being seeing me in the autumn. I gave away a lot of my belongings; most of them went to my eleven year old sister Hoshi. Lastly, I cleaned out my room and prepared to pack modestly.  
>The morning of my departure dawned still and gray. I lay in bed for a while before getting up. 'I may as well say goodbye to you too, bed,' I thought snuggling down into the sheets. I was excited, but I felt an uncomfortable worry gnawing in my belly. I tried my best to ignore it as I went throughout my last morning routine, but I felt shaky and unsettled. My sister Hoshi spent most of the morning silently following me around as I got breakfast finished packing up. As much as she'd told me she wouldn't miss me, I knew she would. Her large black eyes had no sparkle in them today. Around noon she finally got tired of mourning my departure and left the house to play.<br>My mother then began her rounds of mourning. I was surprised; she hadn't really expressed feelings of sadness until today. She came into my nearly empty room and sat down on my bed.

_"Jun, It's not going to be the same without you around the house, honey."_ Mom sighed and smiled at me. _"I'm very happy for you, anyway. It's time for you to grow up and move along now."_

I blushed a little. I never considered myself anywhere near adult hood, even though I was 17. It felt good to be…acknowledged. I'd spent enough living within the shadow of all the village families with sons. My family had no boys, just myself and Hoshi. It was never spoken, but since I had no plans of marrying, I'd have to protect the village. I had no problems with that, but it became apparent that I'd be going nowhere in my attempts to protect the village and become an affective combatant if I had no formal training. Because of that fact, a lot of people who reached my age ended up leaving the village entirely, never to return. Even my dad worked for Galbadia Garden. Then again, he wasn't a native either; his heart wasn't here.

_"I take it Dad didn't return late last night?"_

The skin around Mom's mouth tightened. _"No."_

I rolled my eyes. He couldn't tear himself away from her for even a day to see me off. My father would be absent for weeks, for "work" related reasons he'd say. I knew he was lying. With the war going on, all the Gardens had put all the unimportant instructors on temporary leave. They needed fighters, not teachers. Dad was a P.E instructor for Hyne's sake.

_"Mom, he…"_

_"Drop it, Junko. Your father's life is none of your business. He's provided a lot for us over the years, you should be thankful that he agreed to let you leave."_ Mom picked imaginary lint from her skirt then sighed. _"I'm sorry, honey. Please, just…it's better if we just focus on you today, alright? Have you even considered how your sister feels? Or even how I feel about this? Junko, your father is a good man, He really is. Now let's just drop this for now, okay?"_

I looked down at my feet. As much as I wanted to argue more, Mom was right. Mom helped me finish cramming everything I could fit into two medium sized backpacks, and then we packed up my katanas in separate cases. All that was left to do afterward was to wait for my escort.  
>_<p>_I still had time to bail…that is, if I was even going to. _


	4. Chapter 4

_**When I left, I didn't think anything special of my departure. Even if it hadn't ended in tragedy, I cannot honestly say that my head wasn't anywhere near the right place. **_

The long shadows of late afternoon stretched across my front porch when two strangely dressed people approached my home. They were both wearing white zippered jackets and pants. Like most of the protectors of my village, they also wore masks, only theirs appeared to be fencing masks. Each had a weapons belt which was full of small pockets. They were both the same height, but one was smaller in frame than the other. It appeared neither was armed, but I could tell whatever weapons they normally used were concealed. I was startled at first, but then I realized, they were finally here. I scrambled up from my chair and ran up to meet them. One of them, a woman, greeted me in my own language.

_"Hello, you're Junko McFarland, correct?"_

I was mildly surprised, but not too surprised to answer back.

_"Yes I am. You-you're the _White SeeDs_?_"

_"Correct. Your joining date is today. I'm assuming that you're ready to leave?"_

'Wow,' I thought, 'she's really fluent!' I held my head high and nodded. _"I'll get my things, and say goodbye to my mother."_

Both of them nodded and I bolted back into my house. When I flew through the front door, I almost hit Mom and Hoshi who were coming out to see me off.

_"Jeez, watch it will ya!, "_ Hoshi squealed punching me in the arm.

I groaned and rushed past both of them, stumbled into my room and snatched up my backpacks. I was so excited I almost fell on my back down the stairs and out the front door. When I breezed back onto the front porch, I found Mom speaking to the woman; her mask was off. She looked much older than what her voice sounded like. Her face wasn't wrinkled, but it looked mature; almost older than my mother. Her smile was kind and gentle, and her large eyes were the same shade of brown as her hair.

_"Well, we should be off,"_ the woman said smiling at me and patting my mother's shoulder.

Mom threw her arms around me and hugged me as tight as she could. _"You're going to make us all proud, Junko. Be safe, I love you."_ Mom planted a light kiss on my cheek before she let me go.

Hoshi ran up to me and hugged my waist; she was still a lot smaller than me. _"You're not leaving forever right?"_ Hoshi looked up at me smiling a little.

_"I suppose I'll be able to write from time to time,"_ I answered rustling her hair. Truth be told, I couldn't truthfully say if I was ever going to return.

After being smothered in kisses by my mother, we started off down the dust road leading out of the village. On our way out past the guard posts, I caught sight of Dar up in the post. He waved stoically from his post and gave me a thumbs up. I blew him a kiss and waved before I walked out of the village gates.  
>_<p>_**That was the very last time I saw my mother, Dar, or the village**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**There was no going back now…**_

Once outside of the village gates, the two White SeeDs led me off the main road up to Lallapalooza Canyon, and into a meadow. Confused, I silently followed. 'I wonder, where exactly they're taking me,' I thought to myself. I began to become nervous, perhaps everything Dar was concerned about was true. To make the whole moment even more nerve-wracking, my escorts weren't speaking to me, or each other even. The crunching of grass and leaves with the sounds of chirping insects in the background were the only sounds in the thick silence. The sun was almost below the horizon, and it wasn't exactly safe to travel on foot at night; even in a group it wasn't safe. Questions swirled about in my head like flies. 'They hadn't said whether or not I could ask questions,' I thought, 'so maybe I'll just ask our traveling method.'

_"So, um, are we taking the train at Academy Station?"_

The female escort whipped around and pulled her mask down, she looked angry.  
>"You're out of your home village now, don't speak that language again, ever. Understood?"<p>

I nodded quickly. I was too stunned to speak.

"If you must know where we are going," she began in a stern tone of voice, "we're heading for the coast, near the Tomb of the Unknown King. No, we will not be there by nightfall. Yes, we will be traveling by foot. Do not speak until we arrive there." She reattached her mask and continued walking ahead of me.

The male escort motioned for me to begin walking as well. I fell back into step behind them with my face burning with shame and embarrassment. I shouldn't have said anything, now I'm making a bad first impression,' I thought sadly. I wasn't wearing my mask, so I tried my best to straighten my face. I lifted my head high and obediently marched on.

Night had long since fallen when finally I saw the lights of Deling City in the distance. The escorts continued tirelessly walking ahead of me, but my feet and back were screaming. Even though I'd packed as lightly as I thought I could have, my bags felt like they were full of rocks. I labored on over the hilly terrain until we reached the moonlit coast. The ocean was black and quiet against the indigo star filled sky.

"Our ship will be picking us up from here," the woman said turning to me.  
>I smiled quickly to mask the pain I was feeling in my shoulder from my bag and nodded.<p>

"You may speak now."

I opened my mouth but hesitated, trying to remember the words. "This is the furthest I have ever been from my village."

The male escort spoke for the first time. "Well be prepared to see the world then, it's a lot bigger than what you realize."

I sighed in relief; they seemed like perfectly normal people. 'Maybe she was just tired and I bugged her,' I thought feeling a little hopeful.

The waves began to lap up at the shore noisily as an oddly shaped white vessel approached the shoreline. It had what looked like very large sails which were tucked down on its top deck. A large insignia logo on its side read: THE WHITE SeeDs on its side in fancy lettering. Gold, silver and white paint on it glistened and glittered in the moonlight. It was quite impressive.

"That's our ride," the male escort said jokingly, "c'mon, let's go."

The vessel slowed its course then anchored in a deeper area of the shallows. A metal ladder was lowered from the upper deck at an angle so it rested in the shallowest area of just behind the shoreline. The woman climbed up first, then me, and the male escort climbed up last. When I came up to the deck, a row of six people wearing the same uniform as my escorts saluted the female escort. I dropped my bags at my feet and stood there just looking at everything around me in total shock and awe until the woman broke the silence of my reverie.

"Junko, I am Ellone. I'm this vessel's captain, and the head of the White SeeDs. This vessel will be your home, and this team will be your family. I'm expecting that you will do well in our missions and will be a delight to this team. Welcome Junko, everyone."

The group clapped and cheered. I felt my cheeks flush; I wasn't quite expecting that.  
>"Thank you for accepting me…uh, what should I call you?"<p>

Ellone pulled her mask off and zipped it into one of her pockets on her jacket. "Everyone is on first name basis around here, no last names, no titles. You'll call me Ellone, unless you'd like to call me a nickname?"

I cleared my throat nervously, "Thank you, Ellone."

Ellone clapped her hands together and the line of White SeeDs stood at attention again. "Alright, we need to get this vessel back out to sea. Then introductions are in order for our new recruit. We have training tomorrow, and everyone needs adequate rest, so don't drag your feet. Let's go!"

In a flurry of motions, they all sprang to action and the vessel was quickly moving back out into the dark sea in what seemed like seconds. Ellone picked up my bags and led me below deck. The second level didn't even look like a ship's hold area. The corridors were narrow, but everything was polished wood; the walls the floors. On either sides of the corridor, there were rooms, but the doors were closed. 'Bunking', I thought passing them. As I squeezed down the narrow way behind Ellone, we passed a very large room with a white marble table in its center and what looked like radar computers and radio systems.

"That's our briefing room," Ellone said from over her shoulder.

"Okay."

We stopped at the seemingly endless hall and Ellone led me into a small bedroom and turned on the lights. It was plain, but looked cozy. Half of it was obviously inhabited; books were strewn on the first bed, and a white jacket hung on the bed's post.

"These will be your quarters, you're sharing a room with Katina. She's a very nice girl, you two should get along well, she'll also be training you."

Ellone handed me my bags and I dropped them onto the empty bed.  
>_<p>_**Although Ellone mentioned it, I did not realize that the White SeeD vessel was my new home.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_Out of my elements_

After Ellone and the rest of the SeeDs had gotten the vessel out to sea and I had been able to unpack my belongings, Ellone gathered everyone together and we went below deck to the mess hall to eat. The mess hall looked like an old industrial kitchen compared to the rest of the ship, but I assumed it served its purpose regardless. All of the crew members removed their white jackets and sat around an enormous steel table. I was unsure of where to sit, so I grabbed a chair next to a quiet looking guy with long black hair.

I observed everyone quietly while soup and bread was served up by two of the crew members. Directly across from me sat a boy with buzzed hair and a loud laugh. He talked the loudest and smiled the most of everyone around the table. Next to him sat a girl with reddish hair and deeply tanned skin. She was larger than Ellone, myself, and the other female crew member. She had very muscular arms and a few tattoos as well. The other girl I mentioned was a tiny blonde. She giggled at everything the loud boy said. The other crew member helping her serve the food was the male escort who I met briefly earlier. He had bright eyes and a warm smile. His voice was calm and friendly, almost charming. The guy I was sitting next to spoke little. He was very thin, almost scrawny and his seated posture was slumped instead of upright. He looked like he was deep in thought, but he also engaged in the table conversation from time to time. I tried not to stare at Ellone, because she might have gotten angry again. I tried watching her from quick glances. She looked even older in the dim artificial lighting of the mess hall. Ellone didn't talk much either, she mainly listened and jumped in from time to time in between spoonfuls of soup.

The soup that was served was a simple vegetable concoction and it was almost as thick as a stew because there were so many vegetables in it. The bread was store bought, I could tell, but it was filling. I hadn't noticed when I was first served how large the portion sizes were because I was preoccupied with my surroundings. The bowls that held the soup were nearly the same circumference as a dinner plate and were somewhat deep inside. It didn't take me long to get full, so I sipped at my water and picked at the bread.  
>When everyone was almost finished eating and the talking had died down, Ellone spoke up.<p>

"Alright guys, let's do some intros for Junko before I retire."

The guy with the calm voice spoke first. " My name's Lars. Pleased to be here, and I'm the medic of this crew so if you're ever sick or anything give me a holler."

" Also," Ellone added, " Lars is an expert with poisons and potions. He's developed some pretty amazing concoctions."

" Do you use them in combat," I asked suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable.

"I do. They aren't all lethal by the way."

I nodded and tried not to look too disturbed. 'What does it matter what his weapon of choice is,' I wondered.

The blonde girl spoke next. "Hi Junko, I'm Emily." She grinned hard and batted her eyelashes.

"Emily is our unofficial chef, but we all enjoy her expertise in the mess hall," said Ellone smiling.

"…name's Joey," said the guy with the buzz cut. "I'm the team leader when we're out in the field."

I smiled and nodded, 'That explains the ego then,' I thought slurping my soup. Joey wagged his eyebrows at me and winked.

"So…what is your specialty," I asked looking down; he was kind of creepy.

"Well,"Joey said leaning back ,"I'm a ranger and sharpshooter. Lars helps me make my arrows just as, if not more, deadly than my bullets."

"That is…very interesting," I answered with my eyes still lowered.

Unhappy with my response, Joey nudged the red haired girl.

"Oh! I'm Katina! We're roomates from what I've been told,"

I smiled. She seemed friendly enough.

"I'm a kick boxer by the way, so I'll train ya hard for combat, hope you're up to the challenge."

"I hope I am too!" I answered laughing.

The skinny boy sitting next to me turned in my direction and straightened up. He was a lot taller than what I thought when he quit slouching.

"I'm Stormy, and I'm a gunblade specialist."

"Hi," I replied shyly. He was kind of handsome.

Ellone rose, and collected her empty bowl and water glass.

"I'm off to bed, all of you. Since we have a new member, you're all allowed one more hour, but I expect everyone to be well rested for training tomorrow morning in Trabia."

Everyone wished Ellone sweet dreams and she exited the room. When she was earshot, everyone started talking again.

"Is it just me," Joey began ,"or is Ellone getting old?"

Katina laughed and leaned over on his shoulder."Hey, c'mon, new recruit, yo."

"I think she's just making sure she's got enough energy to drill us into the ground come tomorrow morning," Emily said rolling her eyes."Ellone'll make you cry before the week's up," she said pointing at me.

I cringed, I definitely believed that; no doubt.

Lars cleared his throat, "Let's try to be a little decent and civil for Junko tonight, people; it is her first night here, after all."

I smiled at him graciously.

"But Laaaaars," Katina answered in a high whiny voice, "I'm not a decent girl."

Katina grabbed Joey's head and planted an exaggerated his right on his lips. Emily hooted, Lars rolled his eyes in disgust. Stormy didn't move at all. In fact, I noticed that he wasn't even eating; hid soup bowl was almost completely full. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. I was really out of my element now.

"Uh well," I began feebly trying to change the subject to something else,"how old are all of you? I am seventeen."

"I'm nineteen," said Emily.

"I'm the old man," said Lars, "I'm twenty-four."

"20", Joey said throwing a slice of bread at Katina.

"Hey, stop that Joey! Haha, sorry, I'm eighteen."

"I'm eighteen too," Stormy mumbled.

"Hey, you alright Stormy?" Emily asked looking concerned.

Stormy stretched then patted his stomach.

"Oh, your stomach again?"

"Yeah. Think I'm just gonna hit the sack, guys"

Emilu, Lars, Katina, and Joey howled in protest, but Stormy stood up anyways. He laughed and waved his hands to settle them down.

Seriously, guys. I won't be able to get up tomorrow."

"Alright," Joey said saluting him, "see ya dude."

Before he left, Stormy paused and patted me on the shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Junko."

I blushed a little and nodded. Stormy grinned and exited the mess hall.

"Is he ill? I asked.

"What, Stormy?," answered Lars.

'No a monkey', I thought rolling my eyes. "Yes."

"Well he's got a stomach problem, at least that's what he says," said Emily.

"The kid's weird," said Joey.

"Oh be nice!." Emily folded her arms.

"He's Ellone's nephew for Hyne's sake."

"All the more reason for him to try and be 'special'."

'I can't believe these guys', I thought. 'Dar and I never went on like this.'

Lars broke the debate again, this time waving his hands. "Okay guys, let's just chill out for now, alright?" He glared sternly at Joey. "We've got training tomorrow, so Katina, why don't you take Junko to your quarters settle her in and give her the rundown of the rules list."

Reluctanly, Katina got up and rolled her eyes. I followed her to the door. "It was a pleasure speaking to all of you," I said before leaving,"and that soup was very delicious, Emily."

At that, Lars and Joey wished me goodnight very loudly and Emily beamed. I bowed and trotted after Katina who was already halfway down the hall.  
>_<p>_So maybe Dar's conclusion wasn't blatantly apparent my first evening with the White SeeDs, but I would soon learn he was more correct than what either of us could have anticipated._


End file.
